“Leaving? Kitty, are you sure?” The surprise in his voice told Kitty that the boy had no idea, which didn’t surprise her. Of course Dahlia would leave that out. She was trying everything she could to appeal to him, as if her looks wouldn’t be enough. Colt would be the next broken heart, if they all survived the night.
“I’m not sure when, Colt. Look, don’t stress about it. Just have a good night, and we’ll talk in the morning.” She hung up the phone and sighed. All she really cared about was that he was okay; that they were all okay. She turned to find Jenna already tucked down in the covers glaring at her phone.
“Don’t mind me, Kitt. I’m just deleting the jerks messages.” She poked furiously at her tiny screen.
Kitty walked over and took the remote from her nightstand. “Here, put it on whatever you want. I know how you like the TV left on.” She tossed the remote, which landed beside Jenna, and then climbed into bed after accessing the damage of her toenail polish. It was dry now and not as bad as she thought, so she’d worry about repairs in the morning. As she cut off the lamp and Jenna flipped through channels, the owl called out once more. It was Dominic letting her know she was safe, and even though it didn’t help much, she was glad he was looking out for her just like he promised.
On TV, the man with the broken leg stared out of his rear window with the largest camera Kitty had ever seen held up to his face. The dim light flickered in the room as he hit the flash. Kitty wasn’t big on the classic movie channel, but this was a good one. As she yawned, she doubted her heavy lids would allow her to finish. She peeked over Jenna’s shoulder to see her eyes were closed, and then she laid back, watching a beautiful lady come into frame. She was almost asleep, but she needed to do one more thing.
She slipped quietly from the bed and crawled across the floor to Jenna’s bag. Knowing Jenna had packed it, she searched for the moth pin. The cool metal of the pin scraped against her fingers as she sifted through Jenna’s clothes. Getting a good grasp on it, she pulled it out and then attached it on the inside of her shirt. Jenna wouldn’t see it there, but she would know it was safe just in case anything happened. Kitty wasn’t trusting witches.
It wasn’t long after tucking herself back into bed that her lids grew heavier. Jerking awake from a nod off, she saw something flickering on the TV. Blinking a few times, she focused to see that a white moth was bumbling around the screen. Kitty thought about Dahlia and what she’d said about moths in the house. Fighting her tired lids, she watched the moth flutter around the room from wall to wall. She closed her eyes so she couldn’t see if it made the last corner. No one was going to die if she could help it. Her last conscious thought was to roll over onto her stomach, and as she did she felt the moth pin tucked safely against her skin.
Before her eyes even opened, Kitty felt the pinch of her bladder which needed quick relief. With the room still dim she rolled over to find that it was just after three o’clock. She glanced out the window and wondered if Dominic was still perched up in the tree. Sitting up, she peeked over to Jenna only to find her gone. She must have gone to the bathroom, she thought. She thought about the moth and glanced to the TV screen, which was the only light in the room, but it wasn’t there. Kitty’s memory of it was fuzzy, and as she made her way to her bathroom, she wondered if she had only dreamt of the moth.
The bathroom light was off and the door was pulled to. More concerned about Jenna, she couldn’t ignore her body, so she hurried into the bathroom for a quick stop before stepping quietly, but quickly down the stairs. Unlike the stairs at Whisper House, she’d memorized every creak. She hoped Jenna was in the kitchen getting a drink of water or even another taste of the chocolate ice cream they’d had for dessert, but as she approached, she found it dark in the distance. “Jenna?” she whispered. After checking every room downstairs, she went back up and even peeked in on her mother, who was still curled up, soundly purring from her stuffy nose. Her mother’s bathroom was empty too. She headed back to her room in a panic. Jenna was missing.
Checking the side table and bed covers, Kitty searched for Jenna’s phone. If she had left surely she’d have taken it. Kitty turned to take another step and kicked something with her foot. Before she even glanced down, she could tell what it was. Jenna’s phone was on the floor at her feet, and she scooped it up and turned it on to find the battery was almost dead. After plugging it into her charger, she ran to the window, but didn’t see Dominic the owl anywhere around. What if the owl wasn’t Dominic? What if it was Dahlia? Surely she could transform into anything she liked. And then Kitty thought of the moth. Had Dahlia been the moth?
Kitty broke into a run as she hit the front door. Those last steps through the house still trying to be silent were almost painful as the panic built up inside her. On her way to her cart, she was glad it would be a quiet getaway. She pulled the plug from the charger and hopped on. Her butt had barely hit the seat when she turned the key and she punched the pedal to the floor.
The entire lakefront neighborhood was eerily still as everyone had turned in for the night, and as Kitty approached Whisper House, she could hear the wind blowing off the lake and through the house as if singing her welcome. From the street, the house appeared dark, but as she got closer, she could see a few flickers as if there were candles burning inside. Swallowing hard, she opened the door.
***
Dominic’s heart nearly stopped as Kitty threw open the door. His sister had tricked him and managed to get Jenna up and out of the house. He wasn’t able to stop her from bringing the girl to Whisper House, like he’d hoped, but he wasn’t counting on his sister getting past him. He also wasn’t counting on that foolish boy running out in the night to find her. So when he’d followed Jenna here, all the while trying to counter his sister’s magic— and failing, he found the boy in the house already glued to the dining room chair in a trance.
Kitty’s eyes widened as she saw her friends sitting side by side, feet perfectly together as if they were tied to their seats. Only there were no bindings. “Jenna! Colt,” she screamed.
She darted forward but was stopped by Dahlia who quickly dashed in her path, and cackled, much like those hags that Dominic had warned her about becoming. “Uh, uh, uh—not so fast, Kitty. I understand you’re shocked to see your friends, but I’m afraid they can’t hear you. But I’m so happy you joined the party. I was hoping you would.” Her eyes met Dominic’s and he realized that his sister had no intention of keeping her word about Kitty. She’d kill her now just to spite him.
He appeared at Kitty’s side in a flash and took her hand as his sister paced around the two bound in their chairs.
“Sweet little Colt. It seems someone told him I was going away, and before I could get to him, he came to me, heartbroken and miserable. How adorable. I found him out on the street. I wonder who that was that tipped him off about me not sticking around?”
Dominic squeezed her hand hoping to keep her quiet. He’d seen his sister on this kind of tangent before, and the best thing to do was not cross her.
She gave Kitty a pitiful look and then stepped over to Jenna, trailing her finger tenderly up the girl’s cheek. “I suppose you’re wondering about little Jenna here. She was the most fun. I took her from right under your nose, and Dom’s beak.” She giggled and slapped at the air. “He’s such a protector, my brother. Nice try though, Dom.” Dominic gritted his teeth so hard his jaw popped, but he wouldn’t give Dahl the satisfaction of a response.
She turned her cold stare to Kitty. “You’re still smitten with him aren’t you? That’s so cute. Did he tell you why he killed the last one here? I didn’t give him much choice of course, but why make it easy? It was either kill the poor girl or let her die on her own, slowly and painfully, without her skin.” She gave Dom a pitiful grin and watched the horror wash over Kitty’s face. “Took me hours to peel that peach, but once it was done, I was quite taken by my masterpiece. So, his was a mercy killing, as always. So you see Kitty dear, my brother is that dark, valia
nt prince you fell for. And despite all your knowing, I know you wish you still had him. So tell me Kitty, what kind of monster does that make you?”
Kitty’s face flared red. “You’re the monster, here,” she screamed. “What did you do to them?” Dom comforted her as she watched her friends who hadn’t moved since she entered the house with a pained expression.
“Aw, fear not Kitty, they’re still alive...for the moment.” She walked around them, staring down as if they were a proud accomplishment. With a quick punch to Colt’s chest, which caused Kitty to take a step forward—and Dominic to hold her back—the boy’s mouth popped open and out flew a moth. It swirled up into the air and then disappeared into mist as Colt began to cough, trying to catch his breath. Then she took Jenna’s face into her hand, squishing the girl’s cheeks together and forcing her mouth open. Out crawled another moth and it took flight off her bottom lip before landing onto Dahlia’s hand. She caressed the moth’s body and then with a blow, it disappeared as the first one had.
Colt screamed as Jenna started to cough and open her eyes. Before the girl could join him in his hysterics, Dahlia hushed them both with a warning for Colt. “I’ll send in a rat and have it eat your voice box if you don’t stop that girlish screaming.” Her voice was cold and the couple sat there wide-eyed and trembling. All at once, their mouths snapped shut again, and their eyes glazed over.
“Please let us go, Dahlia. Please,” Kitty begged.
“Aw, Dom, she’s adorable. She makes my heart almost break.”
“You don’t have a heart, Dahl. It died long ago, right here at this very house, and you’ve never been the same.”
“My heart was murdered, dear brother, killed dead like one of our victims, you know that. The day that boy betrayed me, I decided I’d never let another person like him make me weak.”
Dom noticed as Kitty slipped her hand into her shirt tail to pull the pin free, so he pulled his sisters attention away from her. “But you did, Dahl. You did fall in love again and he too has made you weak—broken us both. Not me, not anymore. I’m taking a stand against you. I refuse to let you kill innocents as some sick pleasure.” Dominic only paused for a second as Kitty pushed the pin into his grip, and took his hand so Dahlia wouldn’t see. The trust she had for him overwhelmed him so, that he vowed then and there to himself that he would not let her down. “This curse is ruining you, Dahlia. Turning you into the very thing we’re being punished for having sympathy and love for. You’re just a weak, dependent monster, needing the kill, needing the blood, just like that damned Rhys. And even if you one day get him back and defeat our stepmother, she’s already won, Dahl.”
Dahlia’s face was twisted in a scowl. “I almost believe you, Dominic, but I know you don’t want me as your enemy. Besides, you could never really lash out at me. You never could. It would go against that weak gentleman’s code you’ve handicapped yourself with.”
“You’re right, Dahl. I am a gentleman, and even though I no longer see you as a lady deserving of the treatment as a lady, I won’t strike out against you.” He watched as a slow evil smile played across her face, setting it aglow. How ready he was to take that smile from her smug face. Feeling the weight of the pin between his and Kitty’s hands, he considered its power. Sure, it wasn’t strong enough yet to resurrect a vampire. But it was strong enough to summon a vengeful spirit and give it strength. “No, Dahl, I won’t, but I’ve called on someone who will.” Between their palms the pin started to glow with magic as Dominic chanted, calling forth the spirits of Whisper House. With the pin’s help, his plan just got much better.
The smile faded from Dahlia’s face as Liam, the boy who’d broken her heart, appeared before them, with his bride in tow. “You think this scares me,” said Dahlia. A smug smile spread slowly across her lips and she raised her hand as if to cast a spell. But nothing happened. “What have you done, Brother? You’ll pay for this!” Dahlia backed away toward the kitchen glaring at the ghosts who were hovering closer. “Stay away from me!”
The couple charged through the air at Dahlia, chasing her around the room and into the kitchen. Dominic and Kitty ran to the windy door and watched as the duo picked her up and carried her out across the lake, and into the night. The pin still glowed between them as Kitty stared deep into his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Kitty. I’ve asked them to take her far away from here. She won’t return.” Dominic stared across the lake until the speck that was his sister, vanished completely. He was certain his sister had tried to ghost herself away, but he’d made sure to give them enough power to keep her contained so that no matter what form she was in, they’d have control over her. They’d only set her free when the magic of the pin wore off. He put the witch moth in his pocket for safe keeping and led Kitty safely out of the kitchen.
***
November brought with it icy rain that kept Kitty inside after school. Jenna had only come over once since Halloween. And with the departure and revelations of Dahlia, she and Colt had made up. Jenna figured Colt had been spelled since Dahlia was a witch, and Kitty was content to let her think it. She had far too much on her mind and in her heart to worry about anything but Dominic. He’d taken off five hours before midnight on Halloween, and he made no bones about where he was going. He had to kill to survive. It wasn’t his normal nature and it wasn’t something he relished in like Dahlia. He’d told her of the way Dahlia had always manipulated him, critically wounding the innocent to force his hand. His preference was criminals. So, when he left, he’d been headed to the nearest prison, where death row inmates were convenient.
Kitty didn’t know how he’d get in or how he’d do it, but she was sure that he’d manage. What she wasn’t sure about were her feelings on the matter. Murder was wrong, but did it matter to that prisoner if it were the lethal injection or the wrath of a witch? He was dying anyway and probably deserved it, or so she told herself. It was easier to think that way than to think that the gorgeous boy she’d kissed— that sweet, warm-hearted boy was a murderer. He wasn’t human. He was “evolved” she remembered him saying. Deep inside she wished she were evolved too, so that in some other world or time they could be together.
She was doing it again, thinking of the guy she couldn’t and shouldn’t have. The one she shouldn’t even have feelings for considering what he was. Did it make her a monster like Dahlia has said? Maybe, but she couldn’t help it. He’d shown her his good side— the gentle and kind person. He’d gone against his own blood to save her and her friends. She remembered his brave stance, the way his eyes pierced his sister like daggers, the way his back was straight and his posture strong.
She closed her eyes and thought of him and the night they’d spent on the balcony. He’d held her so close, so gently that she didn’t want that time to end. She remembered how she’d hoped that Whisper House would stand forever. She had no idea in that moment that she’d fall apart long before it did.
As she stared out the window into the drizzling, icy rain, she wondered if he’d ever come back. As she laid her head on the sill, an owl screeched in the distance, and hope burned in her heart.
The end.
Authors Bio – Kelly Hall
Kelly Hall was born and raised in Southeast Texas, and lives in a small town just a stone's throw from the ghost road where her Light Keeper series is based.
When she's not busy writing, or spending time with her husband and two sons, this self-proclaimed creative junkie dabbles in many different forms of art, including cake decorating and mixed media.
Website ~ Newsletter ~ Amazon ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest
Other Books by Kelly Hall
The Legend of the Light Keeper
After a hurricane destroys her home, Lily Jordan is ready for life to get back to normal. That would be easy if her mother’s recent engagement hadn’t landed her in a house along Southeast Texas’ most haunted ghost road. The secluded scenic road is steeped in rich history and legends, but when Lily is given an
old diary on her birthday, will she find that those legends hold more for her future than she’s bargained for?
With the help of new friends, Hunter and Owen, and forbidden love, Talon, will she uncover dark secrets from the past and find the key to her own gifts? Is it fate or circumstance that brought Lily to her new home? Normal gives way to the paranormal in book one of the Light Keeper series where mystery and suspense keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Amazon ~ B&N ~ iTunes
The Secret of Strange Waters
Unfortunately for Lily Jordan, being a Light Keeper doesn't come with an instruction manual, but neither does being sixteen. While learning to use her powers, she’s confronted with unforeseen obstacles and forced to break her own rules in order to save her circle of friends.
With her mom’s wedding on the horizon, will misinterpreted visions create new enemies who could threaten Lily’s exposure? Will death and heartache ruin the big day? For Lily, the answers only lead to impossible decisions. Does she embrace her powers or abandon them for false normalcy?
Kelly Hall’s second book, The Secret of Strange Waters, proves paranormal powers aren’t always a blessing.
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Book 3: The Coming of the Skin Walker
By D.E.L. Connor
The Coming of the Skin Walker
Darkness Echoes: A Spooky YA Short Story Collection Page 15